Our History

1856 Eduard Grein founded a masonry workshop in Graz, in which he shaped marble and various types of locally quarried natural stone for use in churches, mansions and public buildings.
1886 Managed by his son Franz, the small workshop grew into an expanding business with its own quarries.
1908 Franz Grein was appointed “k.u.k. Hofsteinmetzer” [mason to the emperor] and, from that point, became the official supplier of all masonry products to the monarchy. At that time, marble was all the rage for sculpture and architectural applications.
1920 The company was taken over by Franz Grein’s two sons, Ernst and Robert, and substantially enlarged. They were also responsible for entry into the gravestone market.
1959 Ernst Grein was elected president of the national marble mason’s guild.
1962 Following the sudden death of Ernst Grein, his twenty year old grandson Heinz Petrasch Grein took over the family business and achieved further growth and success.
1972 The company relocated from the original site on Annenstrasse to the current location opposite Graz Central Cemetery.
1993 Grein Italia was founded in Rivoli, Verona, located at the heart of the world’s largest area of production of natural stone.
1995 Grein Italia relocated to Affi, the current headquarters, with a site covering more than 30,000 m2 including offices and production buildings.
2000 Euro Granit GmbH was established in Graz, responsible for coordinating the procurement of materials for the group.
2001 Grein Italia added a show area to its site. Called the Grein Forum, it displays exquisite slabs of marble, granite, onyx and quartzite, allowing customers to admire a rich variety of types of natural stone in an exclusive and comfortable ambiance.
2002 All companies in the group were brought together under Grein Holding.
2003 Grein Italia won the prize for “creativity and innovation” for the so-called calibrated slab, which opens up new possibilities for the application of natural stone.
2004 Grein Tec GmbH was founded in Graz, serving as the research and innovation unit of the Grein group and responsible for developing novel applications for natural stone.
2005 Grein Brasil was created, the Brazilian partner focusing on the import of high quality marble and onyx for the local market and on the export of brightly coloured Brazilian granite to North America and Europe.
2006 The Grein group celebrated 150 years of tradition and history.
2007 Grein India opened an office for the export of blocks and slabs sourced in India.